The record-setting Wyrick brothers from East Rowan will don the same jersey next season. After putting their stamp on Rowan County football, the two announced Thursday they verbally committed to play football at Tusculum.

Both brothers said they considered going their separate ways to play college football. In the end, they wanted to continue wearing in the same uniform.

“We kept our options open, but at the end of the day, we always knew we were going together,” Samuel Wyrick said.

The Wyricks took a trip to to the school’s campus in Greenville, Tennessee, two weeks ago. They loved the how it felt to be on campus and the facilities available to them. They also like the town and the surrounding scenery of the Appalachian Mountains.

“The community is really similar to the one here,” Seth Wyrick said. “It’s not that big of a city, and I like the atmosphere out there. The whole place is great. My parents couldn’t stop talking about it.”

East Rowan head coach Kenneth McClamrock said several schools recruited the Wyricks; some as individuals and others together. The key was a connection made between the Pioneers’ coaching staff and the Wyricks.

“They bought into what Tusculum is about and the values Tusculum wants in their program,” McClamrock said.

The Wyricks were key parts of the offense as the Mustangs went 5-6 in the regular season but played their way to being the last team from Rowan County and the South Piedmont Conference standing in the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Seth Wyrick caught 29 passes for 531 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason. He was an AP all-state selection and played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. His full-season statistics: 102 catches for 1,622 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns.

Samuel Wyrick — the older of the two bothers by four minutes — had a career year that saw him set Rowan County records for number of completed passes (263), passing yards (3,301) and touchdown passes (38). During his high school career, he accumulated 7,498 total yards on offense and 96 total touchdowns.